Automatic printing-press feeder



Miky l2, 1925. 1,537,432

I J. L. elm-:0N l A wronuc PRINTING mess plasman n) Filed Feb. B. 1925 4,5hOt-Shlf 1 J. L. GIDEON AUTolATI'c PRINTING PREsis' FEEDER Filed Feb. e, 1925 4 sheets-Sheet 2 In ver) bor- J. L. GIDEON AUTOMATIC PRINTING PRESS FEEDER May 12, 1925.

4 she'etSQspeet s Fled Feb. a, 1923 May 12, 1925.

v J. L. GIDEON AUTOMATIC PRINTING PRESS FEEDER Filed Feb. 8, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Patented May 12, 1925.

.PArENr oFFIC-Ex JOHN L. GIDEON, crei-Ireneo, rumors, AsSGNOR oroivaiienr, To EDWARD E.

Kanon, or CHICAGO, immers...

aurorraric rmNriivG-rasss runnen.

Application ,led February 8, 1923. Serial No. 617,901.

To all whom it /mfaig/ con-cern.

Be it known that I, JO'HNL. GIDEON, citizen of the United States, residing at Oliicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements `in an Automatic Printing-Press Feeder; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such yas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make-and usethe same.

My invention relates to automatic feeders for printing presses, and in itsgeneral objects aims to provide automatically operating means for feeding'sheets `from the top of a stack on the feed table of the press to the platen, and for. returningl each sheet after the completion oftheV printing operation to a delivery pointback of ,the initial stack of sheets.

Furthermore, my invention aims to provide a sheet feeder of this classy so designed that it can readily be attached to a standard type of printing` press of the general.

class having a rocking platen, aims to 4provide a relatively simple =and` inexpensive mechanism for the above named purposes, and aims to provide simple means for adjusting the feeder to various sizes ofl sheets. More particularly,I my inventionr aims to provide a feeder in whiclithe slieet-moving mechanism consists largely of gripping de-.

vices carried by two flexible members which extend over the feed table and 4alongside the top of theplaten of the press g' aims to provide simple means actuated by the mechanism of the press for oscillating the iexible members in suitably'timed relation to the printing operation; aims to provide simple means for continuouslytensioning the flexible members while.'permitting the usual movement of the platen to and from its imprinting position; aims to provide means for adjusting the top ofthe stack of sheets on the feed table, and aims to provide means for lifting the uppermost sheet off the stack at the proper time for having this sheet received by one ofthe grippingdevices.

Moreover, my invention aims to provide simple means for actuating` the gripping devices at predetermined points in their travel, aims to providesimple1coiinections between the gripping devices and the flexible menibers whereby these grippingdevicesY cali readily be adjusted in position according' to the size of the sheet and to the desired position of the sheet on the platen, and iii` general aims tov provide an easily .manipulated, simple aiid'durable sheet feeding'at-i tachment for. printing-presses of the rocking Still further and also more Fig. l is a side elevation of a printingV press equipped with the automatic feeder of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.!

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken longitudinally of the press along the line et--fl of Fig. 2, and showing the forward gripping mechanism in the position of receiving a sheet which has been raised 0H the stack by suction. i

Fig. 5 is a similar section taken more forwardly of the press and showing the rear gripping device when gripping the top of the sheet prior to withdrawing this sheet v from the platen.

Fig. 6 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 5 showing the rear gripper as it appears when about to grip the top of tlie'imprinted sheet. i

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section showing the forward gripper as it appears when releasing its hold on 'the sheet after having fed the sheet to the platen.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section taken longitudinally of the press and showing the for- `ward gripper in the act of gripping one end of the suction-lifted sheet, this being an enlargement of a portion ofFig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section showing the rear gripper as it appears when it has retracted the sheet beyond the initial stack of sheets and is about to be released from the slide which controls the separation of these fingers.

Fig. 1l is a fragmentary perspective view; of a portion of the rear gripping device,

' showing the rotating cam and lever member which controls the opening of the spring grippers of the device. o

Fig. 12 is a plan view of oneend of the rear gripper-carrying cross-bar and of an adjacent portion of one of the flexible members, showing the means employed for connecting the two while readily permitting the gripping devices to be adjusted in position longitudinally of the flexible member.

Fig. 13 is a vertical section through the same parts, taken along the line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of a portion of one of the flexible members and of the forward gripper-carrying bar secured to the same.

Fig. 15 is a vertical section taken through Fig. 14 along the line 15-15 of that figure.

In the embodiment of the drawings, my invention is shown as applied to a lcommon type of printing press including a platen 1 mounted for rocking movement on a rock shaft 2, the rocking of the platen being obtained through pitman 32 at opposite sides of the press from corresponding crank pins mounted on a drive shaft S which power is imparted from any suitable source through a gear 4 fastened to that shaft. The press also has at its rear end a feed table 5 supporting a stack of sheets 6, this table being supported by risers 7 which have rack formations geared to a pinion which forms the rear of a worm wheel 8, so that the table'can be adjusted in height by rotating the crank 9 fast with respect to a worm 1() which intermeshes with the said worm wheel 8.

Extending across the press above the stack of sheets and adjacent to the forward edge of the latter is a sucker bar 11 carrying a pair of suction tubes 12 each of which terminates in a downwardly open mouth piece 18. The suction tubes 12 are connected to a vacuum pump and their yconnection to thepump is governed by a valve operated in timed relation to the press after the manner customary with suction-operated sheetY lifters, so that the top sheet will be rraised off the .stack of sheets whenever it is time to feed such sheet to the press. As such suction lifting devices are commonly employed in connection with press feeders of other types, the details of their construction and operation need not here be described, it being only essential for the purposes of my invention that the lifted sheet should have its forward edge raised to the proper height so that this edge may be received and gripped by one of the two forward gripping devices of my mechanism.

These gripping devices are two in number and are both carried by reciprocating` ilexible members comprising a pair of steel bands or tapes 14 which respectively extend at opposite sides of the platen and the feed table and above both of the latter. Each of these bands is substantially endless and has quired to permit the platen to move from 7 one extreme position to the other. For this tensioning purpose I am here showing an idler 16 pivoted on the endV of a swinging arm 17 which is continually drawn by a spring 18 to a position in which it tends to sharpen the angle of the bend in the flexible member. Then I am also showing the flexible member as trained at the rear end of the press over an idler 19 pivoted on a bearing 2O which can bev moved back and forth by means of an adjusting bolt 21, so as to permit a suitable initial adjustment in the length of the flexible member to be made. The bearing for this idler is slidably mounted on the frame of the press as shown in Fig. 1 and is connected to the pitman 32 by links 62 disposed at opposite sides of the press (Fig. 2), so that these links slide the idler back and forth to ycompensate for the to and fro movement of the platen. Y

To oscillate the two flexiblevmembers l desirably provide each of them with a series of uniformly spaced perforations 22 as shown in Figs. 2 and 12, which perforations intermes'h ywith teeth on a gear 23 as shown in F ig. 1. vhis gear is fast with respect to a pinion 24 which in turn is adapted to be rotated by a segmental gear 25 on the'end of a rocking arm 26, so that by swinging this arm 26 back and forth I can secure the desired to-and-fro movement of the twoflexible members. For this purpose, l desirably employ a link 27v connecting the upper end of the rocking arm with the lower end of a am lever 28 which swings on a shaft 29 mounted on a stationary bearing and which has upon the rear face of its upper end a recessed cam formation 3() as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This ycam formation affords a groove housing a roller 31 on a pin projecting from the pitman 32 which effects the rocking of the plat-en. `By making the cam formation 30 unsymmetrical with respect to the centerline ofthe cam lever 28, I cause the said lever to be rocked to agi-eat,- cr extent during one-half of each revolution of the` driving gear 4 than through 'the other halfrof that revolution, thereby compensating for the differences between the extreme rearward or delivery position of the upper gripping device and the two corresponding extreme positions of the forward gripping device, namely the position which the latter. occupies immediately after feeding the sheetto the platen (as shown in Fig. 5) and the corresponding position after the platen has been rocked and slid to its imprinting position in the usual manner.

Each of the gripping devices desirably includes two spring grippers mounted on a lll-li bar spanning the two fleXible members 14,

together with means for simultaneously.

opening both grippers against the resistance afforded b i their i'esilienc f. Thus the forL ward gripping devices 83m Fig. 2 are shown' slid towards these spring fingers. The slide 3T also desirably Vcarries at its rear a stop Si) which serves both for limiting the movement of the slide in one direction and for engaging either ot two trip devices designed :tor moving the slide 37 respectively in o1- positc directions.

@ne of these trip devices is positioned near the stack ot sheets 6 on the 'feed table so as to actuate the forward gripping device when the latter is to grasp a sheet atter the manner shown in Fig. 8. liilhile the forward gripping device is traveling rearwardly, the spring fingers 36 are spread apart by the cross-bar 88 on the slide 37. The suction device is operated just as the forward spring grippei's approach their rearinost position, thereby raising the uppermost sheet 6A into the path of the gap between the two spring fingers, thus permitting one end of the sheet to slide in between these lingers. As soon as the sheet has thus entered the grippeis, the stop 39 on the slide ot each gripper engages a stop 40 'fastened to the frame oli' the press. thereby moving the slide 3T and the cross-head 3S rearwardly and peru'iitting the fingers 3G to spring towards cach other and grip the sheet. The inoveinent of the Vflexible members is reversed at this point and the 'forward grippers drag the sheet upon the platen but retain their hold until the stop 3S) on each one engages a yieldingly mounted stop 41 adjacent to the forward or lower edge ot' the platen. This engagement moves the slide 37 rearwardly and causes the cross-bar 38 to separate the spring fingers, thereby releasing the forward grippei's from the sheet.

rl`he Aforward grippers then travel beyond the platen to the extreme position shown in Fig. 5, while the rearward grippers approach the rear edge of the platen and grip the opposite edge of the sheet. Each of these rearward grippers also includes a pair o'f spring fingers, namely the lingers 42 ot' Figs. 6 and 11, which fingers are here shown as formed from a single piece oic spring metal wrapped partly around a supporting bar 43 which is fastened to a cross-bar ,44 spanning the two flexible members 14. To

lingersd spaced from each other.

separate the spring' fingers 42against their normal Kspring action, l ain showingthe bar 43 as grooved on one `face to ati'ord a bearing for a camrod 45 which has a semi-cylindrical portion disposed between it and one of the spring Vfingt-irs 42 and which has one end 46 bent at right angles 'to the general direction ot' the rod 45 so as toservef-as a y lever for rotating the rod 45 about its-ow-n axis.

When the rear Ygrippcrs as thus constructed aie approaching the rear edge of a the platen, the rod 45 is turned after the manner of F ig. 6 so that the semi-cylindrical portion o'f the cam end of the said rod is substantially vertical and holds the spring atte-r the lower spring finger has slid under the rear edge ot the sheet as shown in Fig. G,

the leverv arm 46 engages a stationary stopv 47, thereby rotating the rod 45to present 4itsi semi-cylindrical 1end flatwise between the" spring fingers and to permitthe latter to 5 rlfhe sheet is then sup- A i close upon the sheet. ported by these rearward grippers during the imprinting operation and these grippers retain their hold while the flexible members 14 are retracted until the rearward grii'ipers reach the position shown in Fig. 4, namely one in which they have passed -siitliciently beyond the stack. of sheets 6 to carry the imprinted sheet GA rearwardly 4to the press beyond the stack ot paper. Then the lever arm 46 engages another stationary stop 48 (Fig. 9) which rotates the rod 45 back to its gripper opening position ot Fig. 6 and yimprinting sheet. is occurring, the nextsheet has been lifted off the stack by suction and this sheet is'being gra-sped at its 'forward edge by the forward grii'iping defviceas shown in Fig. 4, `after which the above nientioned cycle ot operations is repeated.

To adjust the positions 'ot' the gripping devices in accordance with different sizes o'f sheets, I desirably fasten the gripper-carrying ci'oss bars 34 and 44 to the flexible niembei's respectively by bolts 50 and 51 extendv ing through the same perfo-rations 22 in these flexible members which efi'ect the interineshing ot the latter with the oscillating means, after the manner shownin Figs. 12 and 14. However, I donot wish to be limited to this or other details ot the construction and arrangeinent here disclosed, it

1. The combination with a rocking platen type of printing press, ot` two paper gripping means respectively adapted to kgrip opposite ends of a. sheet, a flexible carrier carrying both gripper means, means for reciprocating the carrier in timed relation to the operation of the press, and automatic means for causing the two gripping means to grip and release the sheet in correspondingly'timed relation.

2. A press feeding attachment as per claim l, in which the two gripper means are adjustable in spacing along the carrier.

3. A press feeding attachment as per claim y1, in which the carrier comprises two flexible members extending along the face of the platen and in which one of the gripper means Vtravels across the full height of the platen and is positioned below the platen during the printing of the sheet.

4. The combination with a printing press of the rocking platen type, of a pair of flexible members extending across the platen transversely of the pivotal axis thereof, means for reciprocating the flexible members in unison, a pape-r gripping device carried jointly by the two fiexible members and adapted to vdrag a sheet `across the platen intoprinting position, and means forcausing the said device to release its grip on the sheet when it has thus positioned the sheet.

5. A printing press feeder comprising flexible means trained over the feed table and the platen of the press, two gripping devices carried by the flexible means `and respectively adapted for gripping opposite ends of the sheet which is to be imprinted7 means for imparting a reciprocating movement to the 'fiexible means, and automatically operating means associated with the two gripping devices for causing the said devices to grip and release the sheet in timed relation to the reciprocating movement of the flexible means.

6. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in combination with means for adjusting the positions of the two gripping devices and means for correspondingly adjusting the positions of the said automatically operating means.

7. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in combination with automatio means for tensioning the flexible means while permitting the normal movements of the platen with respect to the feed table.

8. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in which the flexible means comprise two endless members extending respectively along' opposite sides of the platen of the press.

9. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in which the flexible means comprise two endless members extending respectively along opposite sides of the platen of the press, and in which the gripping devices include two gripper-carrying bars spanning the two endless members and having one of press, and in which the gripping devicesv include two gripper-carrying bars spanning `the two endless members and having one of the bars carried downwardly over and beyond the platen during the initial movement of the sheet, and in which the automatically .operating means release the gripper device carried by the last named bar before the end of the said initial movement of the sheet.

11. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in which the flexible means comprise two endless members extending respectively along opposite sides of the platen of the press," in which one gripping device is moved downwardly over the platen and beyond the latter during the feeding of the sheet to the press, and in which the other gripping device moves sufficiently beyond the initial position of the'sheet during the return movement after the sheet has been imprinted, so as to deliver the sheet back of its initial position.

12. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in which the extent of reciprocation of the flexible means and the position of -the said automatically operating means are arranged so that the sheet when imprinted is carried back over its initial position and delivered behind that position.

13. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in which the automatically operating means include gripper tripping devices respectively secured to the feed table and the platen of the press.

14. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in which the automatically operating means include gripper tripping devices respectively secured to and adjustably positioned upon the feed table and the platen ofV the press. l Y

l5. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in combination with a lifting device for raising the upper one of a stack of sheets from the feed table, and means for actuating the lifting device in timed relation rto the reciprocating movement of the flexible means.

1G. A printingpress feeder as per claim. 5, in combination with a lifting device for raising the upper one of a stack of sheets from the feed table, and means for actuating the lifting device in timed relation to the reciprocating movement of the flexible means, the lifting device including suction means disposed above the path of travel of one of the gripper devices. y

17. A printing press feeder as per claim Cil) 5, in which the ine-ans for iinpartinq reciprocating movement to the flexible means include a rocking member internieshed with the flexible means and cam means operated in timed relation to the press for oscillating the rocking member.

18. A feeder as per claim 5 for a printing press in which movement is imparted to the platen from a crank pin on aV rotating shaft, in which the means for imparting reciprocating movement to the flexible means include al rocking member intermeshed with the iexible means, a cam associated with and moved by the crank pin, and an operative connection between the cam and the rocking member.

19. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in combination with a lifting device for `aising the upper one of a stack of sheets from the feed table, and means for actuating the lifting device after the more rearward grippingl device has passed over the stack of sheets and while the forward gripping device is approaching the said stack, the automatically operating means being arranged to open the said forward gripping device when thus approaching so as to receive the forward edge of the raised sheet after the latter has been lifted off the stack.

20. A printing press feeder as per claim 5, in combination with a lifting device for raising the upper one of a stack of sheets from the feed table, means for actuating the lifting device in timed relation to the reciprocating movement of the flexible means,

and means for adjusting` the eective height of the feed table to maintain the top of lthe stack of sheets substantially at a predetermined level.

2l. A sheet feeder for a printing press of the rocking platen type, comprising a pair of endless members extending over the feed table and alongside the imprinting portion of the platen, a pair of gripper devices spanning the said chains and respectively arranged for gripping opposite edges of a sheet, two driving pinions respectively engaging the endless members, a segmental gear operatively connected to the pinions, and means for 4rocking the segmental gear in timed response to the operation of the press.

22. A sheet feeder for a printing press of the rocking platen type, comprising a pair of endless members extending over the feed table and alongside the imprinting portion of the platen, a pair of grippe-r devices spanning the said chains and respectively arranged for gripping opposite edges of a sheet, two driving pinions respectively engaging the endless members, a segmental gear operatively connected to the pinions, and means for rocking the segmental gear in timed response to the operation of the press, the said means comprising a cam operated coiijointly with a pit-inan 'arranged for rocking the platen.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, February 3rd, 1922.

JOHN L. GIDEON. 

